Patch Channels

Paradigm Processors are created either in the New Project Wizard or in Design view and are assigned a DMX port configuration upon creation. Each processor installed in the system accommodates up to 1,024 control channels (DMX addresses).

LightDesigner assigns a channel identification number to fixtures, dimmers and zones as they are added into a space. Individual parameters of that channel, called channel attributes such as; intensity, focus, color, and beam, are also associated with that same channel number but they are additional lines of information, not as separate channels.

When a channel is patched, LightDesigner has already determined how many DMX addresses are required for the channel attributes.

  1. Click the [Patch] icon in the toolbar to display the Patch view, Processor Summary display.
  2. Double-click the processor DMX output port or the sACN universe you want to patch the channels from the Processor Summary display. Alternatively, you could select the output port from the Browser.
  3. Select the channels to be patched from the Browser or Folders.

    Note: The channels will be patched based on the order in which they were selected, allowing quick patching of non-consecutive channels.

    Tip: There are multiple ways to select channels:

    • (Shift) + click to select a range of channels
    • (Ctrl) + click to select multiple individual channels
    • right click on a space (or sub-space) within the Browser and select "Select all Channels In Space" from the context menu
      • To exclude certain channels after a "Select All" action, press and hold (Ctrl) and click the channels to be excluded.
  1. Drag and drop the selected channels onto the Control Channel Patch display. The channels will be patched based on the order in which they were selected. The range of addresses required will be identified while hovering the selected channels in the grid before dropping them.

    Note: When an sACN universe is created it does not automatically transmit sACN levels back out. Incoming values are ignored unless the address is patched to a channel. sACN output is based on DMX input and Paradigm generated levels.

    Note: You cannot patch multiple channels to a single output.